2021 Gianni Brunelli Brunello di Montalcino 6-Pack

Youthful-looking mid ruby. Balsamic hints over brooding rich fruit. Supple juicy fruit with plenty of acidity and fine chewy tannins. Very elegant, long and still a little embryonic. (WS) 17++

Securing an allocation of Gianni Brunelli is always a race against time, but with the perfect 100-point score from Kerin O'Keefe for this 2021 vintage, it has become the ultimate "unicorn" of the year. This is a pre-arrival opportunity to secure a piece of Montalcino history before it physically lands and inevitably disappears. To understand why this wine is so profound, you have to look at the unique architecture of the estate. Laura Brunelli, who has managed the winery with incredible passion since Gianni’s passing, masters a blend of two distinct and complementary terroirs that is unlike anything else in the region. The heart of the estate is the "Le Chiuse di Sotto" vineyard in the north. This is sacred ground—ancestral lands of the Biondi Santi family—sitting at 320 meters elevation. Here, the soils are cool, rich in clay, and ventilated by constant breezes. This site provides the "nervous system" of the wine: the high-toned aromatics, the electric acidity, and the vibrant energy that makes Brunelli so distinct.